The Newspaper Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN) has urged President Bola Tinubu to engage as many stakeholders as possible, including the media, on achieving his Renewed Hope agenda to move the country forward and reduce the current hardship occasioned by some of his economic policies.
President of NPAN, Kabiru Abdullahi Yusuf, who is also Chairman of the Board of Directors, Daily Trust Newspaper, said the President can benefit from various inputs and ideas on moving the nation forward with strategic engagements.
Speaking at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of NPAN, held in Lagos after the association elected new executive council members, he said: “Every sector and industry will have special problems. The industry has many problems. Funding is a general one. Everybody is struggling in a very depressed economy, but the idea is when we come together, we can help each other to deal with the challenges.”
Publicity Secretary of NPAN, Dr. Nwadiuto Iheakanwa, noted that everybody’s aware that it is actually challenging to do any business in Nigeria and NPAN is looking to harness its resources and get more patronage from the public so as to sustain the business.
“We spoke a lot about production materials, you know, competing demands with dollars in purchase of newsprint, ink and some other production materials. And we also spoke about the extreme rise in prices. I mean, over and above what we could fathom.
“By the time you hear the rates are this, tomorrow it doubles the price, and then you know that the revenue is not coming in like that because a lot of people cut down on their advertising budget, and then we’re also facing taxes from the government in different places. So it really makes survival unbearable,” she lamented.
NPAN elected three new executive council members and one ex-officio. Yusuf returned to office as President for another term. Others returned elected were Deputy President and Publisher of The Guardian newspaper, Lady Maiden-Alex-Ibru; Publicity Secretary and Group Managing Director of Champion Newspaper, Dr. Nwadiuto Iheakanwa; ex-officio member and Past President of NPAN, Mr. Ray Ekpu and ex-officio member and Publisher of Pilot newspaper, Prince Dennis Sami.
Mr. Fidelis Anosike, who until the AGM was the Assistant General Secretary, was elected Treasurer thus paving the way for the election of Mr. Azubuike Ishiekwene, the Editor – in- Chief of Leadership Newspaper, to fill the vacated seat. Mr. Fidelis Anosike took the position vacated by Mr. Olawale Edun, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy.
Angela Emuwa, the Chairman of Punch Newspapers filled the position of General Secretary vacated by Alh. Mohammed Idris, who was recently appointed as Minister of Information and National Orientation by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu
Mr. Aigbogun’s emergence as Vice President followed an amendment to the Association’s constitution, creating the office of a Vice President which was moved by two Patrons of the Association – Mr. Nduka Obaigbena, Publisher of This Day and Chief Olusegun Osoba.
The Managing Director of The Telegraph Newspaper, Mr. Dayo Aminu, was elected as Ex-Officio member
Speaking after the election, the President, Mal Kabiru noted that the injection of the new officers would further energized the Executive council in achieving set objectives.
